New Domaineer looking to network/find info

[WillW]

Hi everyone!

- My name is William - I currently live in the US (New England area)
- I recently started exploring the domain industry as a seller.
- I've built a portfolio of 80+ domains in the past year (currently use Namecheap)
- I've recently started selling a few of my domains through Flippa and Sedo
- I'm looking to network and learn as much as I can regarding the domain industry

This is what I've learned so far - feel free to let me know if you have other recommendations or something isn't accurate.

- When it comes to selling domains, .com, .net, and .org are usually always the top TLD's, unless you have an amazing domain with a great GTLD.
- When it comes to selling domains, it seems like you have to be constantly aware of what names and types of domains are currently trending. Like for example, it seems like .io and "crypto" related domains are trending right now. To be successful when it comes to domain selling, I feel like it's a 75/25 split between the actual domain name, and selling at the right time based on trends.
-Generic words/ short words under 8 letters are usually the most in-demand?
-When it comes to domain appraisals, estibot is the premiere and most recognizable site in the domain community.
-It's important to build a good reputation when it comes to domain selling and buying.
-When it comes to websites that offer domain platforms to sell and buy on, most of them have commission rates over 15%, plus fees?
-It general, it costs more money to advertise and auction your domain, than it is to buy the domain from the registrar.
-It's not as easy as it looks and a lot of strenuous hours go into domain buying and selling (very strenuous sometimes).

This is what I'm looking to understand/learn:

-What the best websites are to sell domains on - based on personal opinions,
the price to advertise, domain exposure, and commission costs - currently I use Sedo and Flippa. I've been on Afternic, BrandBucket, Igloo, and NameJet (still not sure if you can sell on NameJet or not).

-Tips on selling domains
a. When to auction a domain at no reserve.
b. What the best choice is when it comes to selling a domain - "buy now" or "make an offer"
c. What the best payment option is for domain transactions (paypal, flippa escrow, escrow.com, ect.)
d. When to sit on a domain vs. sell a domain.
e. Recommendations on what to put into the description page when selling a domain (domain appraisal, related sales, name meaning, ect.)
f. Recommendations when selling unused domain names.
g. Recommendations when pricing domains in your portfolio
h. Recommendations on the best way to network/get your name and portfolio out to the community (besides namepros/forums)

I appreciate any advice and recommendations regarding domain selling. I'm looking to learn as much as I can and network as much as possible so feel free to send a message!

Thanks!

 

[Mister Funsky]

Hello William...great intro! Looks like you have thought alot through which is a good thing.

There is a ton of information on this site so grab a couple beverages of your choice and read, read and then read. Buy names slowly and ALWAYS determine your potential buyer pool in advance.

Check out Epik for domain registration and also for listing names for sale...may be worth your time...best wishes!

 

[DomainVP]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[offthehandle]

Bienvenido y welcome!

 

[Ategy]

Heya Will .. first of all .. Welcome to NamePros!

Seems like you're definitely on the right track and asking the right questions!

I usually could go on quite a bit .. but there's so much to cover that it would be a shame to share and discuss soooo much information here where it would later get lost. What I suggest is checking out the General Domain discussions .. lots of what you've asked are covered there ... and if there are tihngs you want more info on .. just bump the topic and ask for more details/specifics. Many of the things you're asking are things many of us would love more info/data on .. so you'll certainly get a lot of interest on a lot of those things!

Also .. the answers to much of what you ask depends completely on the quality and categories of your domains!

What sort of domains have you sold so far? Have you been profitable?

Anyhow .. best of luck going forward!

 

[WillW]

Thanks everyone!

@misterfunsky - I'll definitely check that out. Thanks!

@Ategy.com - Thanks for the info. I definitely realize that a lot of my questions rely on my domains and the quality and category of them. I just recently started auctioning some of domains so I have yet to be profitable. My domain portfolio is made up of mostly .com domains - I've targeted short, brandable .com domain names, generic words, and also a few crypto related domains. I also have a few .info, .io, .net, .org, and a few other gtld domains. I've been choosing domains recently based off of recent trends, sales, and estibot values so I believe I'm heading in the right direction. Like many though, I'm just here to gain as much knowledge and expertise as I can!

 

[BullDomains]

Welcome to NamePros!

 

[internext]

greetings @WillW and welcome to np

 

[WeSell-Domains]

Hi William and welcome to NPs

 

[WatchDogue]

Hello!

That was a well written, observant and, a reasonable plan with which to approach investing in domain names.

There is no substitute for quality names when it comes to " real money " investing and usually those names are dot coms.

There are tons of posts to search out, read and , apply to your particular domain goals and ambitions and, NamePros has a number of very knowledgeable and helpful members.

Welcome to NamePros.

 

[xynames]

Halloa.

 

[Pierre Barnard]

Welcome!

 

[NamesMax]

Welcome,

You are well on your way to sucess based on the amount of time you have spent thinking through the industry. Well written.

A couple notations....

1. Estibot may be the most recognized domain valuatore, however, as with any automatic appraisal, it is usually not very realistic. I use it to get a quick look at frequency, Monthly Clicks and current CPC, but disregard the valuations found there.

2. Marketplaces- In my estimation you need to begin to look and list on the Afternic platform. Not only are you selling on their platform, they list your name with the widest reach of other resellers...registrars that also pitch your name if someone goes there looking to register it there.

3. Regarding pricing, everybody builds their own strategies based on their own personalities, patience, time available to spend actively marketing the name via outbound contacts. Some determine what they believe to be top dollar valuation for a name and will hold onto that name for years, in order to get that price. Others, like me, price our names for a nice profit, but at a price that will sell through quickly. I may be selling undervalue, but I would prefer the cash flow and inventory turns.

4.as to your "best way to" questions, there really is no answer to those. We all have our preferred ways in these areas, based on our experiences and personalities. Quite honestly they all work. These are things you will have to learn by trial and error.

As others have said, spend time looking throughout Namepros for these answers as they make sense to you. Look at the "report completed name sales" thread. This will give you an idea of what is selling and where it is selling. Just remember it is not an exhaustive listing. Most very high dollar sales are not reported here and many others choose not to share their information, but I believe that you will find it worth a look.

 

[AIS01]

Super welcome To nP...

 

[Hireinternet]

Welcome to NamePros

 

[Sinfully Wicked]

Welcome to NamePros

 

[WillW]

Thanks everyone!

@NamesMax - Afternic was the first domain platform I used but it seemed like the only way I could promote through their website was if I transferred each of my domains to one of their registrars (namecheap is currently not one of their partners) At the time I wasn't sure if it was worth it so I joined Flippa and Sedo instead. I've been using Sedo recently by advertising my domains through their showcase promotions on their homepage. Definitely not a cheap option though, which is one of the reasons why I'm here. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[NamesMax]

@WillW I have not prepaid for promotions at these registers. At Afternic, if you are with one of the registrars that support their Fast Transfer platform, you get a wider list of sites your name will show up on. If you are at one that is not in that group (like NameCheap) they still list you on their site and some other registers.

Right now Afternic is the platform that produces the highest sales volume for me. My own landing pages are number 2. However when you factor in commissions to Afternic vs no commission on your own lander, my own landing pages are number 1 in net sales. I use Efty.com for the landers. ($25/month). Take a look at them.

 

[KhaledA]

Hello William ,
Welcome to the right place.
The NPs forum is very rich of knowledge, domaining success stories and experienced members.
Good luck ! !

 

[WillW]

@NamesMax - I actually just joined Efty after reading a few discussions. I now have landing pages for all of my domains and a efty marketpage homepage. Now I'm trying to decide the best approach to advertise my marketpage and landing pages. I'm thinking I want to design logos for every domain name to make the page more presentable. Have you used any websites/apps for domain logo designs? I'm thinking adobe illustrator.

 

[WillW]

@KhaledA - Thanks! I've learned a lot in first few days on here and I'm definitely just get started.

 

[Bob Hawkes]

Hi everyone!

- My name is William - I currently live in the US (New England area)


Thanks!

What a great introduction you provided, @WillW ! Clearly you have already thought pretty clearly about domain investing, and we all can learn from you!

In addition to the options that you have considered for selling, you might want to look at Undeveloped.com. They have pretty attractive commission rate (9% and that includes them acting essentially as escrow). They just announced that they had their biggest month ever in November with total sales of $500,000 so stuff is selling there. I just put up some of my portfolio there the last few days, and found their interface really easy to work with. There is no charge unless you sell.

I am not sure if you use something to handle your portfolio, which becomes more of a challenge as it gets larger. If most of your domains are at one registrar (which I believe you indicated) it may not be necessary, but if among several it is handy to keep track of expiration dates, prices, offers, valuations, etc. I have been using Efty the last few months, which is very nice, and they have nice landers which you can customize. I personally have not had much luck in sales through that platform, but notice that last week there was a $10k sale of a .co there which impressed me (rise (.) co, perhaps the seller is on NPs?). Undeveloped offer some of the same features, and without the monthly charge, but there is the commission charge on sales.

I too have most (not all) of my domains registered at Namecheap, and find them competitive in most extensions with an excellent interface IMO. Have you tried selling on their Marketplace? I have found it good for selling inexpensive domains (have sold 16 there this year), and certainly easy to use, but not for me good at mid value or higher. Right now there is a bug in their system if you have a name you want to list again it won't let you (it works fine for names never on the Marketplace). This is irritating and as a result I have moved a bunch of mine to Undeveloped. It is nice thought for sales within the 60 day ICANN period to use the Namecheap system which automatically pushes the name to the new user.

Welcome to the community, and look forward to learning more from you!

Bob

 

[NamesMax]

I actually just joined Efty after reading a few discussions. I now have landing pages for all of my domains and a efty marketpage homepage. Now I'm trying to decide the best approach to advertise my marketpage and landing pages. I'm thinking I want to design logos for every domain name to make the page more presentable. Have you used any websites/apps for domain logo designs? I'm thinking adobe illustrator.

No. I am not artistically creative, and have never even look into any sites or apps.

Good choice on Efty. I woke up this morning to another sale via Efty, Keep an eye out around here for @Doron Vermaat he is Mr. Efty.

 

[rubencouto]

Hello @WillW !

Welcome aboard to NamePros!

 

[briguy]

Hey there @WillW loved your intro and following comments! You seem to be ahead in the game compared to most newcomers here!